Apple Installing Solar for Reno Data Center

(The Hosting News) – Apple is planning a pretty big upgrade for its Reno, Nevada data center. According to a report from GigaOM on Monday, the tech giant plans to build a new solar panel farm next to the facility.

The move continues Apple’s commitment to produce clean energy. In September of last year, a separate report signaled the company had invested in a similar plan in Catawba County, North Carolina.

The solar expansion is reported to produce between 18 and 20 megawatts of power – a feat that will be made possible by a partnership with NV Energy, a Nevada-based utility company.

In addition to solar technology, the farm will rely on mirrors to harness the sun’s solar rays to generate larger amounts of power.

Apple is again partnering with SunPower to oversee the solar farm’s development – just as it did with the Catawba Country, North Carolina project.

“All of Apple’s data centers use 100 percent renewable energy, and we are on track to meet that goal in our new Reno data center using the latest in high-efficiency concentrating solar panels. This project will not only supply renewable energy for our data center but also provide clean energy to the local power grid, through a first-of-its-kind partnership with NV Energy. When completed, the 137 acre solar array will generate approximately 43.5 million kilowatt hours of clean energy, equivalent to taking 6,400 passenger vehicles off the road per year,” stated an Apple representative, according to GigaOM.

In the meantime, Apple plans to rely on geothermal power as it awaits the solar project’s construction. The popular iPhone-maker has kept busy expanding its data center infrastructure since announcing iCloud in 2011.